Reviews with content warning for Abandonment - The Flight

Reviews tagging 'Abandonment'

The Flight by Julie Clark

21 reviews

booksbri's review against another edition

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hopeful mysterious sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

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maggies's review against another edition

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challenging emotional tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

An unexpected gem. I hadn't anticipated the feminist themes and the focus on sisterhood—between Claire, Eva, Liz, Danielle, Petra, Kate, Kelly, even the nuns of St. Joe's, it was consistently women who helped each other, who saw the truth of each others' lives and pain, who stepped up and loved and cared for each other. Some of the twists and turns were a bit convenient or trite, but overall a thrilling read.

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alexisreads's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book will pull you in like a tsunami. I was hooked for the beginning especially towards the end as well. I think this a great thriller read it keeps you on your toes!!

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kelly_e's review against another edition

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mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Title: The Last Flight
Author: Julie Clark
Genre: Thriller
Rating: 4.00
Pub Date: June 2, 2020

T H R E E • W O R D S

Thoughtful • Entertaining • Bittersweet

📖 S Y N O P S I S

Two women. Two flights. One last chance to disappear.

Claire Cook has a perfect life. Married to the scion of a political dynasty, with a Manhattan townhouse and a staff of ten, her surroundings are elegant, her days flawlessly choreographed, and her future auspicious. But behind closed doors, nothing is quite as it seems. That perfect husband has a temper that burns as bright as his promising political career, and he's not above using his staff to track Claire's every move, making sure she's living up to his impossible standards. But what he doesn't know is that Claire has worked for months on a plan to vanish.

A chance meeting in an airport bar brings her together with a woman whose circumstances seem equally dire. Together they make a last-minute decision to switch tickets--Claire taking Eva's flight to Oakland, and Eva traveling to Puerto Rico as Claire. They believe the swap will give each of them the head start they need to begin again somewhere far away. But when the flight to Puerto Rico goes down, Claire realizes it's no longer a head start but a new life. Cut off, out of options, with the news of her death about to explode in the media, Claire will assume Eva's identity, and along with it, the secrets Eva fought so hard to keep hidden.

💭 T H O U G H T S

The Last Flight was my final book for my 12 recommendations from 12 friends challenge in 2023. I tried reading it earlier in the year, but knowing I was going to be flying in July made me put it aside until afterwards.

Told in dual POV format, Claire and Eva are both strong, vulnerable characters. Each came across as a real person escaping an equally dangerous situation. The novel sure starts out with a bang - a plane crash - and I couldn't turn the pages fast enough through the first third. There's definitely a lull in the action through the middle, where it becomes more suspenseful than thrilling, yet it picks back up towards the end. I think the plot structure really worked for the story Julie Clark was trying to tell. It allowed me to really get to know each of the two women and how they ended up where they were, and it slowly unravels their connection. I definitely did not figure out how Eva came to be at the airport until it was revealed.

Beyond the story, what I appreciated so much about this book was the depth beyond the words on the page. Because the male characters were background here, there's a sense of female strength and empowerment. It also shines a light on how neither woman could trust the system to help them, and how they each had to take matter into their own hands. This is a reality many people continue to face on a daily basis and I just thought it added another layer to the story.

While The Last Flight was less than thrilling in my opinion, it definitely had an element of suspense and was an escape read during the frantic holiday season. What I appreciated most about it was the social commentary that was there, yet wasn't there. I'd recommend this to readers who like thrillers with depth.

📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• Lisa Jewell fans
• readers who like psychological suspense

🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S

"I believed my voice alone wouldn't be enough. That nobody would want to hear the truth and step in to help. But when I needed it most, three women showed up. First Eva, then Danielle, and finally, Charlie. If we don't tell our own stories, we'll never take control of the narrative."

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abicaro17's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

This kept me on the edge of my seat!! I was hooked from the premise but the story kept me in. I am a tad upset about the ending as I feel like it leaves a lot of loose ends but whatevs.

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gemin1reader's review against another edition

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adventurous dark sad medium-paced

3.5

I don’t think this is quite pacy enough to be considered a thriller. An interesting if implausible premise though with some good twists. Really love how feminist this book feels with complex female characters put in difficult situations.

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micasreads's review against another edition

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3.0

Clair Cook is married to Rory Cook, a well-known politician and while the world thinks that their marriage is perfect, little do they know that it is anything but. Knowing that she is going to Detroit, she plans her escape. At the last minute, her plans are changed and her plans are about to be discovered. At the airport, she meets Eva who shares her sob story of wanting to start her life over after her husband's death. Thinking it will be best for both of them, they switch tickets and head to each other's destinations. This move will free both of them from their private hells.

There was a lot of hype when this book came out and there were plenty of rave reviews but it wasn't that impressive to me. I found the story a bit slow at times and found myself getting distracted. I think part of the problem is that I've read a few amazing thrillers this year that this had a hard time measuring up. It was an interesting storyline with some good plot twists which made it fun to read. I'm glad to have read it and mark it off my TBR.

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